548 RECREATION 
worsen the Dewey Day p’rade 
or the fireworks accident in 
Madison Square. Ev’rybody 
in New York is out here.” 
The crowd was now becom- 
ing impatient for the race to 
start; the wire fences were 
being covertly pulled down 
and the more daring ones were 
ready to get out on the course 
as soon as the race was on. 
Police and deputy sheriffs 
fumed and fussed, flagmen 
implored, but all were an- 
swered the same way: “We'll 
get back when the cars come 
—we’re not anxious to go 
home in a box.” It was 6 
o’clock and we made for our 
- seats in the grandstand. 
eee ye” ap Already the racing cars 
ake oe 4 * aeeeee =Cerre lined up, one after the 
ere Perens = other, looking fit, every one, 
LADY WILLOUGHBY D’ ERESBY, AN ENTHUSIASTIC SPECTATOR for the ten rounds of the 29- 
mile course. Le Blon, of the 
front platform of the front car, hence American team (Thomas), was to start 
the dirty collar. “I wisht I’d stayed first. Heath, an English driver of a 
home,” said he, dolefully. “It was French car, and who won the first race 
for the Vanderbilt cup, in 
1904, was to start second. 
Promptly at 6.15 Le Blon was 
sent away, and high in the air 
a detonating bomb announced 
to the assembled thousands 
that the race was on. The re- 
maining starters were sent off 
at one-minute intervals. 
I soon was convinced that 
the grandstand was not the 
place for me to see the race— 
there was too much clock- 
work certainty about every- 
thing there. No sooner was 
the last car away than the man 
with the megaphone began 
telling us just how the race 
was progressing, getting his 
advices by telephone from dif- 
ferent points on the course. 
The bulletin-boards told too 
much. So I induced Dodge 
to come away with me, and 
we pushed our way out and 


JOHN W. GATES—HE PICKED THE WINNER 
